Working pets

If your pet is used for any commercial reasons most insurers will not cover them. For example, if you have a dog, many will exclude the following uses:

Security or guarding

Track racing

Coursing

Some policies will also exclude cover for any pets used for commercial breeding, which is when you use your pet for breeding more than twice in its lifetime.

What vet you use

Some insurers will not pay out if they think the vet you use is too expensive, and may insist you choose a cheaper one. You could ask your insurer to recommend a vet when you claim to avoid this.

There are insurers that will only honour claims when you use one of their network of vets, or charge an additional excess of up to £200 if you choose to use your own.

Some will waive the extra excess if the treatment needed is an emergency.

Read through the policy carefully or check with the insurer before you buy cover to find out if this is the case.

Other common exclusions

Dangerous pets: Any dog registered under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 or the Dangerous (Amendment) Dogs Act 1997 will not be covered by most insurers.

Vaccinations: Make sure your pet has had up to date vaccinations and health checks because some insurers will not pay out if not.

Your pet's breed: Breeds that are banned in the UK, for example Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosa and Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs, will not be covered. Here are what dogs are banned in the UK.

Get the right level of cover

Vet fees can run into the thousands of pounds, so making sure you have the right level of cover is essential. For example it could cost:

£875 to treat a cat involved in a road accident

£1,201 to treat a dog with a torn knee ligament

£663 to treat a dog with a tumour

Figures from Tesco Bank

If your policy only covers £500 of vet fees per condition, you would have to pay the amount over this for any of these treatments, for example £701 if your dog tore its knee ligament.

The type of policy you get will also determine what you can claim for so make sure you choose the right one.

Accident only policy: This type of policy will only cover your pet for injuries that occur following an accident and is the most basic level of cover available.

Time limited policy: This type of policy will only let you claim for a certain condition for a limited time, usually 12 months after the first claim. After this period you will not be able to claim for any costs for that condition.

Maximum benefit policies: Your pet will be covered for a condition up to a set limit, for example £6,000, but there is no time restraint on when you can claim. Once you have claimed up to the limit you cannot make any further claims for that condition.

Lifetime policies This will provide a set amount for all vet fees, for example up to £10,000, which will renew each year. This means if your pet develops an illness it can be covered throughout their lifetime.

Lifetime policies are the most expensive level but they can offer the most extensive cover for your pet.

They are a good option if you have a pedigree pet or an animal that may suffer from hereditary conditions that is more likely to become ill as it gets older.

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